1. Minnesota: Promising/Best Practice Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program
Program Overview
MN’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program (BTYR) sets the standard for key areas within communities, counties and companies to synchronize Service member support efforts. Yellow Ribbon Steering Committees are formed with representatives from key community areas including city leadership, public safety, faith-based and social service organizations, veteran organizations, social service/medical providers, businesses and employers. In an armory or air wing community, a local Unit Representative and Family Readiness Support Assistant or Airman and Family Readiness Representative is assigned to the Core Steering Committee. Each steering committee is also assigned a Family Assistance Center Representative and County Veteran Service Officers for their region. Ensuring each key area is represented on this cross-organizational committee is vital to the success of a Community Yellow Ribbon Network. This allows for total community synchronization of effort and identification of resources. The Network facilitates the building of relationships across the community capable of working together to meet the needs of military-connected residents.
Once a Yellow Ribbon Steering Committee is formed, members complete an action plan over 9-12 months identifying how to obtain commitment from each key community area. Once the community action plan is completed and all key community areas have committed to support efforts, the commitments are reviewed and approved with the Director of Military Outreach and a state Yellow Ribbon Action Plan Review Board. The Governor and state military leader representative (usually the Adjutant General) recognize the city, county or company during a formal proclamation ceremony. This public ceremony not only highlights the commitments attained, it allows the network support message to reach their military-connected residents.
The BTYR Program has two components; the BTYR Community Program and the BTYR Company Program. Both programs synchronize support resources, demonstrate honor and recognize all Service members, all veterans of any age or era and all military family members.
Community Networks are formed by creating cross-community committees in order to synchronize resources and services to meet identified support gaps in the community. Networks meet state-authorized minimum requirements to achieve a formal network and are surrounded by Key Support Partners to partner and educate communities on resource gaps.
Company Networks are formed by creating a cross-company committee to address gaps in the areas of: veteran recruiting/hiring/retaining, military-connected employee support and military-connected community support (to include partnering with local BTYR Community Networks). Company networks meet state-authorized minimum requirements to achieve formal recognition as a “Yellow Ribbon Company” .
MN has 90 community networks in 227 cities and 26 counties and 64 company networks.
Point of Contact Name: Director of Military Outreach, Annette Kuyper
MN’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program sets the standard for key areas within communities, counties and companies to synchronize support efforts. Yellow Ribbon Steering Committees are formed with representatives from key community areas. These areas include; city leadership, public safety, faith based and social service organizations, veteran organizations, social service/medical providers, businesses and employers. In an armory or air wing community, a local Unit Representative and Family Readiness Support Assistant or Airman and Family Readiness Representative is assigned to the Core Steering Committee. Each steering committee is also assigned a Family Assistance Center Representative and County Veteran Service Officers for their region. Ensuring each key area is represented on this cross-organizational committee is key to the success of a Community Yellow Ribbon Network. It allows for total community synchronization of effort and identification of resources. It build relationships across the community capable of working together to meet the needs of military connected residents.
Once a Yellow Ribbon Steering Committee is formed, the Department of Military Affairs provides a 90- minute community training to guide the community through the action plan completion process. In addition, a 16-Step Process is introduced to the steering committee that includes the best practice process for action plan completion. The committee then completes the action plan obtaining commitment from each key community area and meeting the minimum standard of each area. Average time of process completion is 9-12 months.
Once the community action plan is completed and all key community areas have committed to support efforts, the commitments are reviewed with the Director of Military Outreach who assures standard adherence and clarity of action plan commitments. Final Action Plans are approved by a state Yellow Ribbon Action Plan Review Board. Once state approval is obtained, the Governor and Adjutant General or state and military leader representative in person proclaim the city, county or company as “Yellow Ribbon” during a formal proclamation ceremony. This public ceremony not only highlights the commitments attained, it allows the network support message to reach their military connected residents. The Governor provides a formal state proclamation and the city is eligible for a MN Department of Transportation Sign designating the community as “Yellow Ribbon”.

2. Minnesota: Promising/Best Practice Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program
Program Reach
MN’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program supports ALL Service members of any branch, ALL veterans of any age or era and military families. Yellow Ribbon Networks conduct cross-sector collaboration to synchronize locally accessible resources and identify and recognize military-connected residents.
Examples of BTYR Cross-Sector Collaboration
YR Networks will partner with state, federal and nonprofit resources to meet the needs of MN Veterans, Service members and their families.
YR Networks will identify and support active duty Service members and their families.
YR Networks will identify and support Veterans of any age or era and their families.
YR Networks will support the Guard and Reserve Components through all examples of service (i.e. drill weekends, annual training, state activations or federal mobilizations).
YR Networks will be prepared to activate support for any future deployments.
YR Networks will form strong, sustainable relationships with 61 National Guard Armory and Air Wing Community Units.
YR Networks will be connected to state, federal and nonprofit resources and state-wide Veteran support initiatives.
YR Networks will complete an annual Best Practice Checklist to ensure state standards of program are maintained.
YR Community Networks will connect at least annually at Joining Community Forces-Minnesota (JCF-MN) Conferences offered around the state in order to: 1) Share best practices, 2) Receive education or training on state and federal support initiatives, 3) Receive recognition by state and military leadership, 4) Coordinate and synchronize resources.
YR Company Networks will connect semi-annually at Yellow Ribbon Company Seminars in order to: 1) Share best practices, 2) Receive education or training on state and federal support initiatives, 3) Receive recognition by state and military leadership, and 4) Coordinate and synchronize resources.
The success of MN’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program has been in providing minimal state requirements/guidance for regulatory compliance while allowing the YR Networks to function in the most effective way within their own community/county. After several years of benchmarking other community programs and organizational measurements, two measures have been established that minimize the risk of overloading volunteer Steering Committee members. Currently the effectiveness of Yellow Ribbon Networks are measured in two ways:
1) Annual Checklist: each Yellow Ribbon Community Network is required to complete an annual checklist. This ensures the Network has maintained representatives from key community areas, connected with Key Support Partners and are educated on the military support needs specific to their community/county. In Networks with a local Unit Representative (61 networks) the Unit Representatives are required to ensure checklists are completed each training year. YR Networks that have established and maintain all areas of the checklist are the most successful and sustaining.
2) MN National Guard Unit Representatives are mandated to partner with their YR Network in three ways: 1) attend a YR Network committee meeting at least four times per training year, 2) Attend an annual Joining community Forces-MN Conference, 3) Ensure completion of YR checklist, and 4) Recognize a YR network volunteers once per training year.
When the above measurements are achieved, the community is partnering with Key Support Partners, setting annual goals and objectives based upon the needs of Service members, veterans and military families specific to their area and maintaining the high standards of the Yellow Ribbon Program throughout the entire community. When YR Networks sustain and strengthen, YR Networks reach more military connected residents in need and connect them to resources.
MN’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program has been effective in unifying efforts across the state, reducing redundancy of services, building relationships with MN communities and companies, and creating force multipliers in order that no Service member, veteran or military family member feels isolated, unsupported or alone
Program Impact
Currently the effectiveness of Yellow Ribbon Networks are measured in two ways:
Annual Checklist: each Yellow Ribbon Community Network is required to complete an annual checklist. This ensures the Network has maintained representatives from key community areas, connected with Key Support Partners and are educated on the military support needs specific to their community/county. In Networks with a local Unit Representative (61 networks) the Unit Representatives are required to ensure checklists are completed each training year. YR Networks that have established and maintained all areas of the checklist are the most successful and sustainable.
MN National Guard Unit Representatives are mandated to partner with their YR Network in three ways: 1) attend a YR Network committee meeting at least four times per training year, 2) Attend an annual Joining Community Forces-MN Conference, 3) Ensure completion of YR checklist, and 4) Recognize a YR network volunteer once per training year.
MN’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program has been effective in unifying efforts across the state, reducing redundancy of services, building relationships with MN communities and companies and creating force multipliers so that no Service member, veteran or military family member feels isolated, unsupported or alone.

3. Minnesota: Promising/Best Practice
BTYR Company: Minnesota Power & ALLETE Clean Energy –
Program Overview
ALLETE/Minnesota Power (~1,500 employees) has been recognized as a Yellow Ribbon Company that proactively supports their military-connected employees by uniting key areas of the company structure to create a comprehensive network of support. Yellow Ribbon Companies honor and embrace those employees affected by military deployments and enable a successful transition into the workplace for Service members returning from military duty. Yellow Ribbon Companies also demonstrate a public commitment to supporting military employees and their local communities to build a stronger, more compassionate workplace.
An important action plan item at ALLETE is to improve the military leave process. The Yellow Ribbon team continues to work closely with Human Resources to improve policies and procedures. Recent changes include:
New pay differential policy: Granted for up to 6 months/activation for active duty, up to 10 calendar days each year for inactive duty. If an employee joins the Guard or Reserves while employed at ALLETE, that employee will receive up to 8 weeks of pay differential during basic training.
New request for time off process: Employees going on military leave complete a Request for Time Off Military Leave. This form answers questions about pay differential, how to enter time while on leave and who to contact while on leave, as well as information explaining the benefit impacts, time off impacts and resources for the employee and their family while they are away.
Yellow Ribbon Steering Committee members are also members of both the Grand Rapids, and Proctor, MN Yellow Ribbon Community programs, sharing best practices with their communities. Committee members also donate time to speak to local businesses on veterans in the workplace and how to become a Yellow Ribbon Company. They have also spoken to the Duluth Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Group on the benefits of being a Yellow Ribbon Company.
Points of Contact
Minnesota Power: Jennifer Peterson
ALLETE Clean Energy: Cindy Schubitzke
The company voluntarily offers benefits above and beyond state requirements, has a dedicated initiative to support military-connected employees, is active in supporting the military community and has a vast network of employee volunteers always ready to assist where needed. ALLETE works to effectuate a culture of caring for all employees, particularly those who are military-connected.

4. Minnesota: Promising/Best Practice
BTYR Company: Minnesota Power & ALLETE Clean Energy
Program Reach
ALLETE’s Yellow Ribbon initiative is targeted to employees that are Service members or veterans, and their military families. ALLETE is also active in supporting military-related events and people in the communities in which they live and work. This is achieved through an active volunteer pool which is ready and able to assist those in need, at work and in their communities.
Program Impact
The recipients of the ALLETE Yellow Ribbon services include 8 actively serving employees and 70 veterans. There are also 23 employee who have family members actively serving. All military-connected designations are self reported on a voluntary basis.
In 2018, ALLETE had 6 employees activated for deployment. During those deployments, numerous departments organized care/supply package assemblies, letter writing campaigns and assisted families left stateside with meal trains and assistance with projects at home.
The Yellow Ribbon initiative raised over $10,000 for Duluth area nonprofit organizations by participating or organizing local veteran-focused events and donated $7500 through its contribution committee including, in part, the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, which aims to end veteran homelessness that resulted in savings of $1,105 in utility costs per year.